One of the state's premier EMS services closed this morning, replaced by a for-profit ambulance company.
Emerson Hospital ALS-1 is no more.
As of 7 a.m. Pro EMS of Cambridge, previously most famous for carrying Cambridge FD's luggage, is now responsible for the 14-town district once served by a cadre of Paramedics who lived and worked in the area, for whom local EMS was a calling, not a revenue stream.
I'm mad.
I'm mad at the CEO of Emerson Hospital, Christine Schuster, for turning her back on a service that was for decades the hospital's best ambassador to the communities it served, and for joining the ranks of other hospital executives for whom quality prehospital care is not worth caring about enough to actually spend money on.
I'm mad that my worst fears have been confirmed -- quality care, professionalism and integrity matter not a bit in this industry. All those years of thinking that all we had to do was provide the best prehospital care we could and the rest would take care of itself, well, it turns out I wasn't completely wrong. "The rest" did in fact take care of itself, though not in the way I would have wanted.
And I'm mad at what I'm sure is a whole series of events of which I am completely unaware but which conspired to end ALS-1's run.
Thank you to all the people who made my time there such a rewarding experience, and best of luck in the future. You will be missed.
Keynote
1 month ago
3 comments:
As of 7 a.m. Pro EMS of Cambridge, previously most famous for carrying Cambridge FD's luggage
Ouch!
Thank you, Ted!
Your honest and true words have been read around the globe!
And I really appreciate them!
Hope to see you around!
I hear my posts regarding the closure of Emerson ALS-1 are almost required reading at Pro.
I want to say that I bear Pro no ill will whatsoever.
I remain less-than-impressed by the way its management chose to introduce themselves to the Emerson medics back when, and peeved at the circumstances that conspired to shutter that excellent service.
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